Baseball game



W. PRINGLE BASEBALL GAME May 8, 1945.

Filed June 12, 1944 a 7V3 w INVENTOR. flaz/a/v fim ezs Patented May 8 1945 UNITED STATES} PATENT OFFICE BASEBALLGAME William Pringle, .Rego Park, Long Island, N. Y, Application June 12, 1944, Serial o. 539,878 l 3Claims. (01.273-93) The invention herein disclosed relates to game apparatus and particularly to apparatus for playing the game of baseball. l

Objects ,of the invention are to provide a game which will simulate, so .far as possible, all the plays of the regular game and will aifordthe players a real contest, .such as thatbetween the pitcher and the batter in the usual game.

Further special objects of theinvention are to make the action as interesting and. as realistic as possible, for example to enable either right handed or left handed players to apply their respective skills in their own particular ways and to accomplish this Without having to alter the structure, thus simulating the effect of a right or left handed batter stepping up to the plate or a right or left handed pitcher taking his position inthebox. i

Other objects are to accomplish all the above within a reasonably simple'and inexpensive form of construction, of attractive appearance andgenerally desirable in other ways.

The foregoing and other desirable objects are attained by the novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts hereinafter described, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing and broadly covered in the claims. 1

In the drawing, there is shown a practicaland at present preferred embodiment of the invention, but structure may be modified and changed in various ways, all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed. f j

Fig. 1 in the drawing is a plan view showing the parts in the position they may occupy at the start ofaplay;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the parts as they maystand at the completion of a play;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the parts as in Fig. 1,

with the cover or playing board portion. of. the device removed; i

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view as on substantially the plan of line 4,.-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a broken transverse sectional view as the pitcher is represented by a ball H and the batterby a knob or handle I2 carrying a bat 13.

The plays are represented by the designations 14 disposed in the radial segments of adisc or spinner l5. This disc is shown as having a hub i It rotatably and slidably journaled on a stud H.

The ball II is shown as engaged over the end of the spindle. l8 formin the upper end of the hub.

double ended shutter having oppositely extended.

blades 26, 21 to pass beneath and close the window 22', according to which way the bat is swung.

At the center the shutter carries a radially projecting arm 28 disposed substantially at a right angle to the two oppositely projecting shutter blades. A pivot pin 29 on this arm provides the connection with a link 30 which carries an inclined brake shoe 3| for engaging beneath and stopping the rotation of the dial. This brake shoe carrying link is shown as slidingly guided at its free end by having the longitudinally slotted portion 32 of the same engagedabout a free turning roller 33 on the dial pivot stud H. The throw of the shutter arm 28, as represented by the distance between pivot centers. 23 and 29, is sufficient to carry the brake shoe from a position clear of the disc, as in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, into full holding engagement with the disc regardless of which way the batter element is swung, that is, in a counterclockwise direction from the Fig. 1 position, as for a right handed batter, or in a clockwise direction,

starting with the bat at the left hand side, Fig. 1,

as would be'the case for a left handed batter.

:For easy scoring purposes, as for showin strikes, balls, outs and runs a series of pointers and suitable markings may be located at one end of the board substantially as indicated at 34, 35, 3B and 31.

A washer 38 engaged over the pivot stud 23,

Fig. 5, supports the arm 28 of the shutter at the proper level to keep the pivoted end of the brake link 30 from dragging over the face of the back I board.

Stops may be provided to locate the starting positions of the batat either the left or the right hand side, said stops being here provided by a single ridge or bar 39 disposed to be engaged by the shutter arm 28 at the limit of its back swing in the opposite directions.

To visualize the plays more definitely, tokens such as shown at 4!], representing the men in play, may be shifted about on the board as the game progresses.

The game may be played by one, two, or any number of players, but usually by two players, one acting as the pitcher and, in effect, throwing the ball by spinning the knob ll at the pitchers position, and the other swinging the bat, when the ball is pitched, to stop the dial, thus in effect intercepting the thrown ball and to uncover the window and show what play has been accomplished.

A right handed pitcher may spin the dial in a clockwise direction and a left handed pitcher may turn the dial in the opposite direction. The same as to the batter, a-right handed person maychoose to swing the bat right handedly and a left handed personmay choose to strike left handedly, as he would in playing the regular game. These differences in play are accomplished without shifting or changing any parts and the covering and uncovering of the window and the releasing and stopping of the spinner are in ever case effected .just the same. These various possibilities give thegame constant interest and enable players to choose which Way they will play and, if desired, to change their mode of play, at the end of or right in the midst of a game, features which may be governed by rules that may be adopted. v 1

With two players, usually the batter will take a position at one end of the board and;the pitcher a position at the opposite end of the board, and the scores may be set up on the indicators 34, $5, 36, 31 by either one or both the players. I

The complete game board may be inexpensively made up of simply two layers of plywood at Ill, IS, with spacing strips 20 secured between the edge portions of the same. The shutter may be a-thin piece of sheet material fastened ona wooden piece forming the lever 28. While not so re stricted, the designations'arranged in the order illustrated'in Fig. 3 are preferred since these have been found to give all desirable opportunities of play. r I What is claimed is:

1. A baseball game comprising a board laid out in representation of a baseball field, a' batter simulating element pivotally mounted at the home plate position on the board and mounted free to swingin opposite directions 'to simulate the f action' of either a right-handed or a leftrotatably mounted batter simulating element to close said window when the batter simulating element is turned back to either right-handed or left-handed batting positions and to open the window when the batter simulating element is turned to simulate batting from either a righthanded or a left-handed position, and means also connected with said batter simulating element for effecting stoppage of the spinner approximately at the moment of the shutter opening the window from travel in either of said right-handed or left handed positions.

2. Game apparatus comprising a spinner, provided with play designating indications, a shutter mounted for covering and uncovering said designations, a player simulating member mounted.

for movements simulating the movementsof a player drawing back and swinging at a ball, means for arresting rotation of the spinner and connections from said player simulating member for effecting freeing of said arresting member from the spinner and covering of the designationsby the shutter *when the player simulating member is shiftedin theclrawing back direction and for effecting coaction of the arresting means with the spinner and uncovering movement of the shutter when the player simulating member. is shifted in the direction simulating the movement of a player swinging at a ball. Y 1

3. A baseball game comprising a game board having therepresentation of a baseball field, a spinner journalled at the pitchers plate and carrying designations of play, a window on the board for exposing the playdesignations one at a time,

a shutter movable to cover and uncover said window, a player simulating member mounted at,

' the home plate position and having movement to simulate the movements of a player drawing back' andswinging at a ball, spinner arresting means and connectionsbetween said player simulating member and said shutter and arresting means for free ng the arresting means from the spinner and moving the shutter in the window uncovering di- 

